The appointment of Ted Kaufmann, a long-time Joe Biden aide, as interim senator and his declaration not to run for election to the office in November 2010 angered not only [[Republican|Republicans]], both statewide and nationally, but [[Democrat|Democrats]] as well who "viewed it as an attempt to orchestrate Biden's election in 2010."<ref>[http://www.paherald.sk.ca/Sports/Sports-facilities/2008-12-09/article-183014/Kennedy,-Cuomo,-Biden----nepotism-thriving-in-American-politics/1 ''The Prince Albert Daily Herald'', "Kennedy, Cuomo, Biden -- nepotism thriving in American politics" 9 Dec. 2008]</ref> Harry F. Themal, columnist for ''The News Journal'', related a conversation he had with the Vice President suggesting he was asked to pressure Biden's son to run for his United States Senate seat.<ref>[http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20100124/OPINION03/1240302/1007 ''The News Journal'', "VP Biden on the Senate's "lamentable atmosphere"" 24 Jan. 2010]</ref> Shortly thereafter, the vice president's office demanded a correction insisting "that he told Themal to get ''Kaufman'' to run for the seat," despite the interim senator's earlier declaration that he would not.<ref>[http://hotair.com/archives/2010/01/25/biden-officially-drops-out-of-de-senate-race/ ''Hot Air'' "Biden officially drops out of DE Senate race" 25 Jan. 2010]</ref> This fueled speculation that Biden's son was not going to run. The next day, those speculations were confirmed when "the younger Biden told supporters in an email Monday that he will run for re-election as attorney general rather than seek the [[Democratic]] nomination for Senate."<ref>[http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/top/all/6834655.html ''Houston Chronicle'' "Vice president's son decides not to run for Senate" 25 Jan. 2010]</ref>

The appointment of Ted Kaufmann, a long-time Joe Biden aide, as interim senator and his declaration not to run for election to the office in November 2010 angered not only [[Republican|Republicans]], both statewide and nationally, but [[Democrat|Democrats]] as well who "viewed it as an attempt to orchestrate Biden's election in 2010."<ref>[http://www.paherald.sk.ca/Sports/Sports-facilities/2008-12-09/article-183014/Kennedy,-Cuomo,-Biden----nepotism-thriving-in-American-politics/1 ''The Prince Albert Daily Herald'', "Kennedy, Cuomo, Biden -- nepotism thriving in American politics" 9 Dec. 2008]</ref> Harry F. Themal, columnist for ''The News Journal'', related a conversation he had with the Vice President suggesting he was asked to pressure Biden's son to run for his United States Senate seat.<ref>[http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20100124/OPINION03/1240302/1007 ''The News Journal'', "VP Biden on the Senate's "lamentable atmosphere"" 24 Jan. 2010]</ref> Shortly thereafter, the vice president's office demanded a correction insisting "that he told Themal to get ''Kaufman'' to run for the seat," despite the interim senator's earlier declaration that he would not.<ref>[http://hotair.com/archives/2010/01/25/biden-officially-drops-out-of-de-senate-race/ ''Hot Air'' "Biden officially drops out of DE Senate race" 25 Jan. 2010]</ref> This fueled speculation that Biden's son was not going to run. The next day, those speculations were confirmed when "the younger Biden told supporters in an email Monday that he will run for re-election as attorney general rather than seek the [[Democratic]] nomination for Senate."<ref>[http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/top/all/6834655.html ''Houston Chronicle'' "Vice president's son decides not to run for Senate" 25 Jan. 2010]</ref>

−

The same day as Beau Biden's announcement, Robert Cook, an American political analyst, immediately designated the [[Delaware]] Senate seat as '''Solid [[Republican]]''' for the November 2010 midterm election.<ref>[http://www.cookpolitical.com/charts/senate/raceratings_2010-01-25_10-57-48.php ''The Cook Report'' "2010 Senate Race Ratings" 25 Jan. 2010]</ref>

+

The same day as Beau Biden's announcement, Robert Cook, an American political analyst, immediately designated the [[Delaware]] Senate seat as '''Solid [[Republican]]''' for the November 2010 midterm election.<ref>[http://www.cookpolitical.com/charts/senate/raceratings_2010-01-25_10-57-48.php ''The Cook Report'', "2010 Senate Race Ratings" 25 Jan. 2010]</ref>

As attorney general, Biden is the state's chief law officer and the head of the State Department of Justice. First elected in November 2006, Biden was sworn into office in January 2007. He won re-election in 2010, sailing through both the Democratic primary and November general election completely uncontested.

Before becoming attorney general, Biden was an attorney and partner in the Wilmington-based law firm of Bifferato, Gentilotti, Biden & Black. Prior to that, he served as a federal prosecutor in the United States Attorney's Office.[1] From 2001 to 2002, he was interim legal adviser for the U.S. Department of Justice in Kosovo.[3]

A major in the Delaware Army National Guard's Judge Advocate General's Corps, Biden was deployed to Iraq in October 2008--just before his father was elected as Vice President and midway through his first term as attorney general. The 12 month long deployment forced Biden to temporarily cede many of his official duties to his deputy attorney general, but he was fully restored to the office upon his return from Iraq in the fall of 2009.

At one point in the wake of the 2008 presidential election, Beau was considered the frontrunner to fill the vacancy in the United States Senate left behind by his father. However, either due to concerns over accusations of nepotism or an expressed unwillingness to be thrust onto the national political stage so quickly, Beau took his name out of the running and opted instead to fulfill his duties in the Delaware National Guard.[4]

Biden's second term as state attorney general will expire on January 6, 2015. Despite being eligible to seek re-election in November 2014, Biden announced in April 2014 that he would forgo a possible third term in order to focus his sights on the open 2016 governor's race. A rising star in the Democratic Party on the state and national level, Biden had long been considered a potential contender to succeed incumbent Gov. Jack Markell (D) when the latter reaches his two-term limit.[5][6][7]

Biography

Biden was born and raised in Delaware. Tragedy struck the Biden family early in Beau's life, when he and his brother Hunter were badly injured in the automobile accident in 1972 that claimed the lives of their mother, Neilia, and younger sister, Naomi Christina Biden.

Biden received his J.D. from Syracuse University's College of Law. He forfeited opportunities to enter the private sector immediately following graduation in favor of a two year clerkship for the United States District Court in New Hampshire. Biden then moved to Philadelphia, where he had previously lived as an undergraduate attending the University of Pennsylvania, to join the United States Department of Justice. There, he served as Counsel in the Office of Policy Development, specializing in gun control and women's rights laws, as well as issues related to child protection.[1]

Biden became a federal prosecutor in the United States Attorney's Office in 1997, remaining there until 2004, when he returned to the private sector as a partner in the Wilmington-based law firm of Bifferato, Gentilotti, Biden & Black.[1]

In August 2003, he was commissioned as a First Lieutenant in Delaware's National Guard’s 261st Theater Tactical Signal Brigade, and his unit was activated for a 12 month deployment to Iraq in October 2008, right before his father was elected to the Vice Presidency. Biden, now a major in the Delaware Army National Guard's Judge Advocate General's Corps, returned from Iraq in late 2009.

Biden has served on the boards of directors for the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League, Wilmington Housing Partnership, and World Affairs Council of Wilmington.

Political career

Attorney General (2007-Present)

Prison criticism

Upon return from his active tour of duty in Iraq, Biden found his office in the midst of a startling prison scandal and conducting damage control in the form of silencing his office's critics. The controversy began when Dover attorney Steve Hampton, who had taken on a number of inmate's cases in several scandals that occurred within the state of Delaware's prison system, successfully sued the Department of Corrections (DOC) for 'gross medical neglect' in the death of twenty-two year old Anthony Pierce. Pierce, an inmate at the Sussex Correctional Institution (SCI), was known as the 'brother with two heads' because of the massive brain tumor growing on his head. The tumor, which was left untreated by the prison medical staff, eventually killed him in 2002.

A series of investigations conducted on behalf of the Caesar Rodney Institute, called "Rogue Force", revealed ongoing problems with the prison medical care, in addition to accusations of physical abuse by a handful of guards at SCI. “There is an abusive atmosphere at SCI that permeates the whole place,” Hampton told the Caesar Rodney Institute for the series. “They have a hands-off attitude about the number of use-of-force incidents. It just isn’t important to them." Depositions obtained by Hampton from several guards at the Delaware prison facility while investigating an assault of a prison inmate named David Kalm "revealed that the DOC is breaking its promise to the federal government, in which it agreed to provide specific training to the guard force, as part of the federal Memorandum of Agreement between the DOC and the U.S. Department of Justice."[9] The DOC signed the agreement in 2005 rather than risk litigation in federal court, following another case of poor medical care. Lawmakers appealed for federal investigation of the state’s prison system.

Senate candidacy

At one point in the wake of the Democratic victory for senator Barack Obama and Joe Biden in the 2008 presidential election, Beau was considered the frontrunner to fill the vacancy in the United States Senate left behind by his father. However, either due to concerns over accusations of nepotism or an expressed unwillingness to be thrust onto the national political stage so quickly, Beau took his name out of the running and opted instead to fulfill his duties in the Delaware National Guard.[10]

The appointment of Ted Kaufmann, a long-time Joe Biden aide, as interim senator and his declaration not to run for election to the office in November 2010 angered not only Republicans, both statewide and nationally, but Democrats as well who "viewed it as an attempt to orchestrate Biden's election in 2010."[11] Harry F. Themal, columnist for The News Journal, related a conversation he had with the Vice President suggesting he was asked to pressure Biden's son to run for his United States Senate seat.[12] Shortly thereafter, the vice president's office demanded a correction insisting "that he told Themal to get Kaufman to run for the seat," despite the interim senator's earlier declaration that he would not.[13] This fueled speculation that Biden's son was not going to run. The next day, those speculations were confirmed when "the younger Biden told supporters in an email Monday that he will run for re-election as attorney general rather than seek the Democratic nomination for Senate."[14]

The same day as Beau Biden's announcement, Robert Cook, an American political analyst, immediately designated the Delaware Senate seat as Solid Republican for the November 2010 midterm election.[15]

Elections

2016

Biden has declared his intention to run for Governor of Delaware in 2016. The office is currently held by Jack Markell, a Democrat first elected in 2006 and re-elected in 2012. Markell will have to leave office after completing his second term due to the lifetime two-term limit law Delaware imposes on its governors and lieutenant governors.

2014

Though eligible for re-election as attorney general the 2014 elections, Biden has opted not to pursue a third term in light of plans to run for governor in 2016.

"After careful consideration, I have concluded that it is not right to ask for your support in 2014, knowing that my focus would be divided between doing my job as Attorney General while at the same time running as a candidate for Governor," Biden explained in an April 17 statement posted to his campaign website.[5]

Biden's declaration of candidacy for the 2016 gubernatorial race was a long-anticipated move for the twice-elected attorney general, who has been called an "emerging star" in the Democratic Party. The governor's seat currently held by Jack Markell (D) will be open in 2016 as Markell is prevented by term limits from seeking re-election a third time.[16]

Campaign donors

Comprehensive donor information for Biden is available dating back to 2006. Based on available campaign finance records, Biden raised a total of $1,208,732 during that time period. This information was last updated on July 8, 2013.[18]

Beau Biden's Campaign Contribution History

Year

Office

Result

Contributions

2012

Attorney General of Delaware

$159,019

2010

Attorney General of Delaware

$7,744

2008

Attorney General of Delaware

$161,447

2006

Attorney General of Delaware

$880,522

Grand Total Raised

$1,208,732

2006 and 2010

Ballotpedia collects information on campaign donors for each year in which a candidate or incumbent is running for election. The following table offers a breakdown of Beau Biden's donors each year.[19] Click [show] for more information.